Nutrition for performance

 

Eating for health and eating for performance are two VERY different things. Most elite athletes are far from the healthiest they could be. Those elite athletes strive for performance. Supplements, weight gainers, garbage food, etc. You think Michael Phelps eats 12k calories/day of chicken and rice? doubtful.

 

I eat what I want. Plain and simple. Right now I'm dieting. I allow myself 240-250g protein. 150-170g carbs and 40-60g fat. Thats it. If I choose "healthy" foods, I get lots and lots of food. That could also be read "lots and lots of boring, flavorless food". If I choose poorly, I get very little but very delicious food. I try to be in the middle of that but I refuse to eat food I dislike. In my experience, centralizing carbs and protein around my training yeilds more energy, better lifts, better results. If I have too much fat in there without many carbs or protein and I'm very sluggish. Obviously, I didn't do that anymore after I figured that out (unless I'm feeling 39 cent tacos from del taco).

 

I have dropped 32lbs in the last 3 1/2 months and threw 44/83 weights in training on Saturday. Strength is steady, energy levels are steady and throws are ever improving. My nutrition? Friday afternoon I had my cheat meal for the week. 8 slices of absolutely delicious pizza hut pizza. I think I had some milk and something small for dinner, but I don't really remember. Saturday morning I woke up, downed a shake + 2 bananas. Took 400mg of caffeine and sipped on a 32oz gatorade diluted into 1gallon of water for the entire workout. It was one of the best throwing sessions I've had in a very very long time. I wasn't recovered because on friday I deadlifted/ohp in the morning and threw in the afternoon. I attribute the energy great workout to the nutrition aspect. So, I think nutrition has a bigger role than all others. Without fuel workouts roll to a stop, training goes down hill, etc.. but I don't think we have to be as paleo as everyone promotes.

Mike, you mentioned you were eating garbage and weighing 303 but not training. Imagine the results if you had been training. Just a thought. Calories = fuel (period). If you've got enough carbs proteins and fats, it will yield performance gain. I've had some of my best workouts after eating taco bell or olive garden for lunch.

You'll see me out on the field eating my sweet tarts and nerds between every throw while sipping on a gatorade or some other carb drink all day long. Haha.

Agreed 100% Gene. And I have found out recently (well it has been going on, just didn't pay attention) I am gluten intollerent. I mean it takes nothing these days to bloat me. Its just time to make some easy changes. Plus with my goals I need to start really dialing in the diet.

 

this thread is about nutrition for performance, no? with that said.....

 

your oats vs pop tart is arguable. while I agree that it is healthier, I disagree that it is better for peformance.

 

oats are loaded with fiber. fiber cant be digested or used for energy. also, oats are low on the glycemic index meaning they won't raise blood sugars and they will take longer to digest. the fuel you get from them won't be available until many hours later and you probably won't notice an energy boost at all. also, they're bland unless you add stuff. what are you going to add? brown sugar, syrup, fruit, spices? the fruit isn't going to give you immediate energy either because fructose has to be broken down by the liver before its available to be used for energy. lastly, because they digest so slow, they'll just sit in your guy. definately not something I want before a day on the field.

pop tarts have higher fat, less fibers and protein. the higher fat will slow down digestion, but not to the affect the oats will. the hfcs will spike insulin levels and although the pop tart itself won't be available for immediate energy, anything else in your system that is just hanging around that has already been broken and is readily available will be on its way to be used.

again I'll reference michael phelps: http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/08/13/the-michael-phelps-diet-dont-try-it-at-home/

 

12k calories.. doesn't look like any of them are clean, yet he's one of the best athletes of all time.

again, this is nutrition for performance. Don't get me wrong, I don't disagree, eating healthy is better for you in living a longer, happier life. But when it boils down, a carbohydrate gram has 4 calories, a protein gram has 4 calories and a fat gram has 9 calories. With that said, you can eat clean calories or dirty calories, but dirty calories are still fuel.

Something to think about; one of the absolute best carbohydrates for immediate energy is dextrose because it is digested quickly and can be available to be used for energy faster than anything else. It is the closest thing to glucose there is. Dextrose is processed from starch. Waxy maize is another if you like the taste of cornstarch.

Just playing Devil's Advocate (sort of) for a minute here:

1.  An elite swimmer is a very differnet animal than a competitive thrower.  Very different training and very different energy requirements.  He literally needs fuel to burn.

2.  On a related note, how much carb energy do you really think a thrower or heavy lifter needs for a few intense seconds of effort followed by 2-6 minutes of rest?  I am not denying the energy boost provided by sugar etc and more significantly caffeine, but your muscles are never going to become glycogen depleted training like this, unlike a swimmer, wrestler, cyclist, etc.  Thoughts?

 

I had toothpaste, 3 Xyience energy drinks, a breath mint, and two pieces of gum.  Feeling like a Boss.

 

(For my romance novel cover shoot tomorrow!!!)